PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The tourism industry in Plettenberg Bay is embroiled in a "palace revolution", complete with a power struggle and war of words after the formation of a new Plettenberg Bay Tourism Board (PTB) to challenge the existing Plett Tourism Association (Association) headed by Patty Butterworth.
The PTB has already been registered as a not for profit organisation, called "Plettenberg Bay Tourism", by tourism practitioners who are unhappy with the way the Association is running the industry.
This week, comments by Butterworth in an urgent notice to Association members about a "disgruntled and disruptive individual" was followed by a lawyer's letter sent by Paul Duverge, who played a role in the establishment of the PTB.
Butterworth in response said the Association is governed by a board and will consider Duverge's letter at its meeting on 14 September.
The conflict came about after Duverge, managing director of Raw Africa Boutique Collection, which includes Sky Villa and the Bungalow Plett, asked uncomfortable questions about finances at the Association's annual general meeting. The Association relies on a municipal grant of more than R3m annually.
Butterworth said at the AGM that the Association is financially healthy, but Duverge asked whether it has contingency plans, should the municipality withhold funding.
He also asked about items in the financial statements for 2021 relating to employee costs (R480 920), outsourcing and professional fees (R1 388 118) and website costs (R324 211).
The membership fee contribution for 2021 was R99 150, a 34% drop from the previous year's R150 760. This indicates that the association is losing membership.
Plettenberg Bay is being rocked by a battle over tourism. Photo: Carlo Coetzee
Mud-throwing
In her urgent notice to Association members, Butterworth says that the initiative in creating a new tourism structure "is being driven by the same disgruntled individual who caused a disruption at the recent Plett Tourism AGM by making a long list of unfounded and unsupported accusations against the Association".
A letter to Butterworth from Leonie Baynes of LA Baynes Attorneys says it is not disputed that Duverge questioned the transparency of the process that took place, and also had queries regarding the expenditure of the municipal grant.
Butterworth says in her notice that the "individual in question is sowing chaos and confusion in the industry by taking precipitous action ahead of the meeting [with the municipality] in allegedly forming a new tourism association".
She says the inevitable outcome of such action will be "to cause confusion and harm to our precious and valued tourism industry", and strongly urged both members and others in the tourism industry not to become part of any such initiative before the matter has been resolved.
Following Butterworth's urgent notice, the Association's website posted a strongly worded post about Duverge.
Baynes Attorneys' letter calls Butterworth's statements "false, misleading and slanderous". Duverge said the right of association with the PTB is within his constitutional rights and that he has made no allegations, but only asked some questions. He has demanded an apology and retraction of the "false and unsubstantiated averments" within five days.
Baynes Attorneys said failing this, legal action will be taken because Butterworth has not only questioned and defamed Duverge's integrity, but also that of Raw Africa.
"Having had the experience of being a board member of Tshwane Tourism over two years Mr Duverge, indeed, had concerns regarding said expenditures and a right as a member to question such," the letter read.
In the meantime the Association's chairman, Bruce Richardson, stated that when confronted by a "spectre of a new tourism board and concerns around it", the Association issued an urgent notice to members.
He said Duverge's "assertions" can be accessed in the Plett Tourism quarterly reports and audited annual financial statements that are available for viewing on the Plett Tourism website.
These reports are presented at the Bitou municipal council meetings and are shared with the mayor's office. Richardson said a fuller response on the steps it will take may be expected after the Association's board meeting and it might include the board's full response to Duverge's attorney.
Council concerns
Issues were raised around Plett Tourism Association at the last Bitou council meeting, followed by the tabling of an interim, three-monthly "memorandum of agreement".
According to the agreement, funding for the Association would be made in tranches every three months as part of an interim agreement to allow the council to consider the institutional options of the future management of the tourism function. The council called for a report to be compiled, but this is still outstanding.
Bitou Municipal Manager Mbulelo Memani said on Friday last week that the municipality is aware of the tensions around tourism in Plett and the submission made by Duverge's group. He said the council is awaiting a report on the Association before any decision is made.
WhatsApp group
Duverge has created a WhatsApp group for the PTB and a number of Bitou councillors, including Mayor Dave Swart, have signed up on the voluntary platform.
In a message to tourism stakeholders, the PTB says the purpose of the meeting on 14 September will be to have an open discussion and receive inputs from local business owners, operators and members of the public in relation to tourism in Plett.
The PTB board will be coordinated by the private sector to promote tourism within the Bitou Municipality, he said. ''The PBT is an umbrella association in Bitou disseminating information and connecting business, government, residents and visitors on tourism-related matters.''
Duverge says it is a new beginning for tourism in Plett and there is no reason why both entities cannot exist side by side. "It's like a fish pond. If you add more fish, the pond will become fuller," says Duverge.
Among the objectives of the new Plettenberg Bay Tourism Board are:
• To ensure that tourism has one united voice within the municipal boundary of Bitou.
• To ensure an open and welcoming membership to all tourism stakeholders, this at a reasonable membership fee that takes cognisance of affordability. This on a system whereby the big players support the smaller players.
• To ensure that we promote and lead the way, by guiding efforts toward social responsibility within our community.
• To ensure partnerships and relationships are built within all economic sectors on all levels (public, private, government).
• To ensure that tourism within the town thrives by ensuring that mandates are set on the use of external service providers for events/festivals. Preference must be given to LOCAL businesses.
• To ensure a board structure that is diverse in their skills. It will comprise of various chapters, led by suitably qualified experts in their respective fields.
• To ensure accessible and cost-effective marketing opportunities for our members, as well as new players within the game.
• To ensure that we promote responsible tourism.
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